Yanks in Blighty - June 1, 2003.

   The brochure read: "Levity is an intricate exploration
  of light and form that takes its inspiration from
  Islamic architecture." Created by Architects of Air
  in Nottingham, it was like Ernst Haeckel meeting a big
  bouncy castle. Our Yorkshire trip trimmed our budget
  for the Bury Festival, but I must say this 'building'
  made up for the loss. Each chamber was awash
  in dazzling primary colors, and wandering
  around in socks made it seem childlike.
  In my book, it was the best
  'act' of this year's
  festival.

Christopher is quite excited by the latest in lawn care
maintenance. The FlyMo® floats on the cushion of air
created by its mower blades as it cuts the grass.
Since we've had it, Chris has practically begged
me to let him to cut the lawn - front and back!
An eleven-year-old begging for his chore?
That, friends, is progress.

Suffolk has been deceptively warm and dry. So much so that we imagine were are back in the States. But there is no comparison beyond that, as our second Spring in Blighty reminds us. We are afloat on a stream called time, and the water below us is quite deep and flows quickly on.

We sense this when we visit places like Fountains Abbey or Harewood House - our two latest excursions in Blighty. Set in the rolling hills of Yorkshire, these two vast properties cast a strange effect on their visitors. Any travel that slips the bonds of time, even for a moment, will do that.

Chris ends Fifth grade soon. It's been a tough year. Organization is his weakness, and the teasing continues. Social situations are, he describes them, 'a mine field'. But he made Honor Roll and won a Spelling Bee, and he still loves riding and his pet bunny Arthur. Asperger's. How we dread next year. Earth to God: HELP!

Fortunately he and Judy are visiting the States this month (peace permitting). Judy is attending a conference on Autism for graduate credits, and Chris will go on tour. I'll be home with Elena, and that's fine with me. She's anxious to show off her new reading skills, and I enjoy a nice story. Truth be told, she's a real inspiration for me.

Well, friend, enjoy the latest -- 'n dan't fahgit t' wroite!

North Yorkshire is a three-hour drive through the Midlands from Suffolk. Fountains Abbey is in remarkable shape compared to our St. Edmundsbury, which looks plundered. Knowing such a desecration was caused by King Henry VIII's greed lent a sadness to the abbey's once-teeming ruins and the steep hills that cradle them. This part of England has always been a magnet of great wealth. Harewood House (built with West Indies sugar cane money) and Nostell Priory are boggling examples of this. Both estates follow classical Georgian sensibilities of balance and refinement, and no details - not even the ceilings - are overlooked. To top our trip we stopped in Harrogate for tea at Betty's where the pianist played a little 'Yankee Doodle' when he heard us place our orders. Yes for the creme of all things British, Yorkshire is undoubtedly the place to go. 'Ta!